Newspaper websites name injunction footballer

The Times, Guardian , Mirror and MailOnline websites all quickly identified the footballer named in the House of Commons by MP John Hemming this afternoon. Some other media remained more cautious as an injunction remains in force. The BBC later followed Sky News in naming Ryan Giggs as did the Sun, the Telegraph and even the Financial Times.

Hemming told Sky News he had decided to name the footballer after he had threatened to sue Twitter.

Mail: Second England footballer wins injunction

Another England footballer has won a draconian injunction to gag the media from reporting revelations about his private life - the second in a week, the Daily Mail reports today.
The Mail reports: "The multi-millionaire, who cannot be named, is a father in a long-term relationship. He won the restrictive order last night banning a woman from publicising personal details about him."
A similar injunction was granted to another England international footballer last week after he discovered a Sunday tabloid was planning to run a story about his private life.
The Mail comments: "The latest example of media censorship will reignite the row over judge-made privacy laws which have never been approved by Parliament. Instead, the orders are based on judges' personal interpretation of human rights laws.
"Under the strict terms of the injunctions, neither of the footballers involved in this week’s actions can be named, despite the Daily Mail knowing who they are. Both orders were granted at the High Court in London by Mr Justice Nicol, on the grounds that the revelations would breach the footballers’ ‘right to a private and family life".
Breaching such an order could result in criminal prosecution for contempt of court.